Circular knitting machine



Feb. 3, 1953 E. F. REICHERT CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 2, 1948 FIG.4

FIG.8

1953 E. F. REICHERT CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 2, 1948 llllll la];

IN VEN TOR.

Patented Feb. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Elias F. Beichert, Allentown, Pa., assignor to Samuel Reinhard, Allentown, Pa.

Application September 2, 1948, Serial No. 47,396

Claims.

This invention relates to circular knitting machines and more particularly to a circular knitting machine so designed as to permit the automatic production of plain or pattern fabric in any desired courses in accordance with a predetermined pattern. By plain fabric I mean a fabric composed of a single color yarn or a fabric containing a plurality of stripes each of a different color. The term "pattern fabric is employed to denote a fabric in which designs or insignia differing in color from the background are knitted as a portion of the formed fabric or a fabric in which various stripes may be composed of several colors different from the color or colors of adjacent stripes.

In circular knitting machines of the Brinton type it is possible to so arrange the machine as to knit either a plain fabric or a pattern fabric. It is impossible to operate the machine so as to knit both plain and pattern elements as portions of the same fabric. Similarly, with a circular knitting machine of the Supreme type, it is possible to produce a plain fabric or a striped fabric; but such machine cannot be operated to knit both plain and pattern elements as portions of the same fabric. The present invention is concerned with circular knitting machines of the types recited so modified as to produce fabric designs similar in appearance to designs of fabric produced on a Jacquard machine in which two yards are employed, to produce in effect a double knitted fabric. It will be appreciated circular knitting machines of the type contemplated by the present invention produce a single yarn fabric and not a double yarn fabric.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a circular knitting machine capable of producing automatically a plain or pattern fabric in accordance with a predetermined design without repeating the design about the periphery of the cylinder of the machine and of producing approximately twice as much fabric in a given time as the ordinary well-known circular knitting machine, for example, a machine of the Brinton type. 7

An object of the present invention is to provide a circular knitting machine in which all stations about the periphery of the machine are operable in the production of a pattern fabric thereby enabling greatly increased production of pattern fabric to be attained.

A further object is to provide a circular knitting machine including pattern wheels for selecting needles for knitting a predetermined design, yarn carriers, and a yarn carrier'changer 2 for selecting the particular yarn to be supplied to a selected needle at each station about the periphery of the cylinder.

A still further object is to provide a circular knitting machine in which both the needle to be actuated at each station and the particular yarn from a plurality of differently colored yarns supplied at each station to be supplied to such needle are automatically selected in accordance with a predetermined pattern or design.

A still further object is to provide a method of operation of a circular knitting machine in which the particular yarn to be supplied to a selected needle at each station of the machine is automatically selected from a plurality of differently colored yarns supplied at each station in accordance with a predetermined pattern in design and color to be knitted without repetition, if desired, or the design about the periphery of the machine cylinder. Other objects of my invention will be readily perceived from the following description.

This invention relates to a circular knitting machine comprising in combination a cylinder, latch needles disposed on the cylinder, members for raising and lowering the needles, yarn carricrs to supply a plurality of strands of yarn to the needles at each station, means for automatically selecting the needles to which yarn is supplied at each station, and means for automatically selecting the strand of yarn supplied to the selected needles.

This invention further relates to a method of operating a circular knitting machine in which the steps consist in automatically selecting needles at each station of the machine to be placed in knitting position in accordance with a predetermined pattern, simultaneously selecting in accordance with the predetermined pattern a strand of yarn from a plurality of strands of yarn available at each station for supply to the selected needles, feeding the selected strand to the selected needles at each station, and knitting the strand so selected into the formed cloth in accordance with the predetermined pattern.

The attached drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a circular knitting machine illustrating the automatic yarn and needle selecting mechanism of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the mechanism for automatically moving the knitting segment of the needle pull-down cam in and out of operable position;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating in greater detail the mechanism for automatically selecting the particular strand of yarn to be supplied at each station;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a section of the cam ring looking outwardly from the center of the machine and showing the knitting segment of the pull-down cam in operable position;

Figure 5 is a perspective view similar to Figure 4 showing the knitting segment of the pull-down cam in inoperable position;

Figure 6 is a View in side elevation of the yarn carrier;

Figure 7 is a View in front elevation of the carrier of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view of fabric knitted in accordance with the present invention illustrating the multiplicity of colors and designs provided by the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a circular knitting machine which includes a cylinder 2 disposed on a table 3. Table 3 is mounted on the framework a of the machine. It will be observed in the machine described the cylinder is disposed in stationary position. Slots 5 are formed in the outer wall of cylinder 2 and receive latch needles 6 held therein by the usual spring I.

A cam ring 8 is disposed in a recess 9 in table 3 .and carries a cam Hi. Similar cams it are provided at each station of the machine about the periphery of the cylinder 2. A rack l is disposed in the under surface of ring 8 and is adapted to engage a gear l2 mounted on a shaft l3 connected to a prime mover (not shown) such as an electric motor, in order to rotate ring ii about cylinder 2. Pattern or design wheels M are also disposed at each station about the machine. Each wheel M has a slotted circumference shown at it in which the needles may be disposed. In accordance with a predetermined pattern, inserts or jacks it may be placed in certain of the slots in wheel Id for the purpose of raising selected needles to knitting position.

Considering Figures 4 and 5, it will be noted each cam 60 includes a movable segment H which in operable position raises each needle to knitting level. It will be appreciated it is necessary that needles selected by the pattern wheel, when making patterned fabric, be the only needles raised to knitting level. Of course, when knitting plain cloth it is necessary that segment I i be in operable position in order to raise all the needles 6 to knitting position. Suitable mechanism, as hereinafter more fully described, is provided to move segment I! of cam H1 into and out of operable position.

A sinker cam ring is provided mounted on bars 2| supported on cam ring 3 in order that ring 20 rotates with ring 8. Ring 26 supports sinkers 22 disposed between alternate needles and carries a cam 23 to actuate sinkers 22 in the usual manner.

Yarn carriers 24- are mounted on cam ring 28 and. are disposed at each station about the periphery of cylinder 2 and serve to supply yarn to selected needles in knitting position at each station about the machine. The yarn carriers shown are adapted to receive four strands of yarn through eyelets 25 from separate cones of yarn. Preferably, each strand of yarn is of different color and it will be appreciated the color of yarn employed is selected in accordance with the predetermined pattern.

Each yarn carrier 24, refer to Figures 6 and '7, comprises side walls 26 and 21, yarn fingers 28,

29, 30, and 3| being pivoted on a shaft therebetween. A pin wheel 32, as is well known, is disposed adjacent fingers or levers 255, 29, 3%), and 3! and is adapted to move each finger into 0perable position in accordance with a predetermined pattern. Ratchet 33 is mounted on shaft 3-5 which supports wheel 32. Ratchet 33 is rotated by means of a pawl 35 connected to a plunger 36 capable of horizontal movement in a slot 3'! in the sidewall 26. Thus rotation of ratchet 33 as determined by movement of plunger 36 rotates the pin wheel to place the desired finger in operating position, as shown in Figure 7, finger 30. The strands of yarn 38, 39, it, and M pass through similar eyelets 42 and 43 on each finger. It will be appreciated that only one finger is placed in supply or feed position at any time. Accordingly, the various strands of yarn from each carrier 21% are led to a post 44 at the center of the machine which maintains sufficient tension on the unused strands to assure they are not entangled in the cloth being formed. A minor amount of yarn is wasted by this procedure but the quantity so wasted is relatively small. Springs 45 are provided in carrier 24 to assure that each finger is returned and held in inoperative position when it is not selected by the pin wheel to feed yarn for a selected needle.

Referring to Figure 7, it will be noted a guard 45 is provided on each carrier 24. An opening it is provided in the guard through which the yarn passes from the fingers to the needle. It will be appreciated with four fingers, the needle being adjacent approximately the center of the opening, in some cases the needle may fail to draw yarn supplied by the outer fingers 28 and 3|. To assure that yarn is drawn by the needle when finger 28 is in operable position, inclined surface 48 is provided in the wall of opening M which urges the yarn toward the center of the opening so that it may be readily drawn by the needle. Similarly at the opposite wall of opening 4?, inclined surface 49 is provided which urges yarn supplied by finger 3! when it is in operable position toward the center of the opening ii. As shown, surfaces 38 and 39 incline'downward and inward toward one another from the side walls of the opening in the guard t6.

Referring again to Figure 1, adjustable segment I? of cam i5 is connected to a rod 55 carrying a cam 58. Engagement of plunger 5'! with one side of cam 56 raises segment ii to operable position. Engagement of plunger 58 with the opposite side of cam 55 lowers the segment H to inoperable position. Such mechanism is well known and does not require further description. Considering Figures 1 and 2, the mechanism for actuating plungers 5i and 5% is illustrated. An element 58, as shown in Figure 2 is pivoted at 69 in the framework of the machine. Element 59 carries arms 5i and 62. Arm El carries a horizontal lever 63. Lever 63 supports a cam follower 65 adapted to engage horizontal cams 65 at each station of the machine. Cams 35 are secured to cam ring member 8. Arm 62 carries a lever 68 terminating in a pawl 61 adapted to engage and rotate a ratchet wheel 58. Sprocket it is carried on hub or drum 69 of ratchet 88. A chain ii composed of high, medium and low links in accordance with a predetermined design is carried by sprocket 15!. Each movement of pawl 67 rotates ratchet wheel E38 and sprocket it carrying the chain 'H forward one link.

A lever 12 is connected to element 59. Lever 12, as shown in Figure 2, carries a ball member in Figure 1, the plungers are in neutral position. lviovement of plunger 51 actuates cam 56 to raisesegment 11 while movement of plunger 58 actuates cam 56 to lower segment H.

Considering Figures 1 and 3, similar mechanism is provided to actuate the plunger 3'5 of yarn carrier 24. As shown in Figure 3, a cam 86 disposed on a block .8l actuates plunger 33.

Cam 8E! is mounted on a vertical rod 82 extendmg in a slot in block 8|. Rod 82 is connected to lever 83 pivoted at point 84. Lever 83 is mounted on vertical lever 85 attached to lever 86. Lever Sdcarries a ball member 31 which rests on the. links of chain 88 carried on sprocket B9 rotated by ratchet 68, as above described. Chain 83 is composed of high and low links. A spring 951 assures positive contact of ball member 8? with the links of chain 83. The opposite end of lever 86 is pivoted at element d. When ball member 81 engages a low link of chain 85', lever 86 is lowered, raising lever 85, thereby rotating lever 33 about point 84 to raise rod 62 carrying cam 89, and through cam 89 actuating plunger 36 of carrier 2% thereby rotating the pin wheel 32 of carrier 24 to select the yarn carrying finger to be placed in operative position.

I have illustrated in Figure 8 a fragmentary portion of a fabric produced in accordance with my invention. The present machine contains thirty-two stations disposed about the periphery of the cylinder. Thirty-two yarn carriers as described above are provided each carrying four strands of yarn. Thus I28 strands of yarn in all are available. In the design illustrated, it will be seen a white stripe AM is provided which may be formed by sixteen feeds. The patterned portion i0! is formed of 32 feeds, consisting of 16 yellow and 16 blue feeds, the diamond-shaped elements being formed by the yellow feeds. A second white stripe 402 is provided formed of 16 feeds. Then a wider red stripe N33 is formed from 32 feeds. A green stripe H34 may then be formed from the remaining 32 feeds. The infinite variety of color and design provided by the present invention will be appreciated. Both stripes and designs may be produced in the same fabric permitting patterns not heretofore possible of production by circular knitting machines to be knitted.

Considering the operation of the machine, the links of chains H and 88 are selected in accordance with a predetermined pattern. Likewise, in accordance with such pattern, the pattern wheels it contain jacks l6. Pins in pin wheel 32 are also disposed in place in accordance with such pattern. As the cam ring 8 rotates, latch needles 6 are raised and lowered by cam Ill. Pattern wheels [4 select the needles to be placed in knitting position at all stations when a patterned fabric is being made. To assure that segment [1, used when plain fabric is being produced, does not raise needles not selected by wheel M to knitting position it is lowered as described above permitting such needles to remain in floating position. The cams 65 through the intervening mechanism described above actuate chain H to automatically raise and lower segments IT in accordance with the'predetermined design. Likewise, chain 88through the mechanism described above selects-automatically the particular strand of yarn to be supplied to the automatically selected needles at each station.

While I have described the present invention as applied to a circular knitting machineof the type in which the cylinder is stationary and the needle actuating cams rotate about its periphery it will be appreciated my invention is not limited to such types of circular knitting machines since it is applicable to machines in which the needle actuating cams are stationary and the cylinder carrying the needles is rotated.

The present invention provides a circular knitting machine capable of producing a pattern of many colors and designs without repeating such pattern about the periphery of the cylinder. Such a pattern may be producedxby the automaticxselection of needles and yarn at each station of the machine in accordance with my invention. Each station of the machine may be utilized if desired thus permitting a great increase in the quantity of fabric produced in a given time in comparison with circular knitting machines heretofore employed. Both stripes and designs may be provided in the same pattern if desired permitting production of fabrics not heretofore obtainable on circular knitting machines. The formationof the stripes and designs in a given fabric is determined automatically in my machine and does not require the attention of an operator after the machine is set up to make a desired pattern.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention it will be appreciated my invention is not limited thereto since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a cylinder, needles disposed in the cylinder, members for actuating the needle, yarn carriers to feed any of a plurality of yarns to each needle, said carriers being disposed at stations about the periphery of the cylinder, pattern wheels for actuating the needles, means for automatically select ing a strand of yarn for supply to a selected needle in accordance with a predetermined pattern, the yarn selecting means being correlated with the pattern wheels to form a predetermined pattern, and mechanism for moving a needle actuating member from operable position so that needles not selected are not raised to knitting position, said mechanism comprising cams carried by the machine, a ratchet wheel, a pawl adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, lever mechanism connecting the cams with the pawl to rotate the ratchet, a sprocket rotatable with the ratchet, a chain includin high, medium and low links disposed over the sprocket, a member carried by a lever engaging the chain, a rotatable cam connected by a link to the lever, said cam carrying plungers adapted to engage an element to move a segment of the needle actuating member into and out of operable position, the connecting lever mechanism including a lever, a cam follower carried by said lever to engage the actuating cams, a pivotable element connected to said lever at one end, and a second lever connecting the pivotable element to the pawl.

2. A circular knitting machine according to claim 1 in which a second member is connected to the pivotable element, said member carrying a ball member, a second sprocket rotatable by said ratchet, a second chain including high and low links carried on the second sprocket, the ball member engaging the links of the chain to raise and to lower the second member, and means connected to the second member to actuate fingers of the yarn carrier.

3. A circular knitting machine according to claim 2 in which the yarn carrier includes four fingers, a pin Wheel to place a selected finger in operable position, a ratchet to rotate the pin wheel, a plunger carrying a pawl adapted to engage the ratchet, and means connected to the secand member to move the plunger to actuate the ratchet.

4. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a cylinder, needles disposed in the cylinder;

members for actuating the needles, yarn carriers to feed any of a plurality of yarns to each needle, said carriers being disposed at stations about the periphery of the cylinder, pattern wheels for actuating the needles, means for automatically selecting needles to be actuated and mechanism for automatically selecting a strand of yarn for supply to a selected needle in accordance with a predetermined pattern, said mechanism including cams carried by the machine, a ratchet wheel,

the links of the chain, an element carrying the ball member,-said element being raised and lowered by engagement of the ball melnber with the links of the chain and means connected to said element to actuate fingers of the yarn carrier.

5. A circular knitting machine according to claim 4 in which the yarn carrier includes a plurality of fingers, a pin wheel to place a selected finger in operable position, a ratchet to rotate the pin wheel, a plunger carrying a pawl adapted to engage the ratchet and means connected to said element to move the plunger to actuate the ratchet.

ELIAS F. REICI-IERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,605,727 Hilscher Nov. 2, 1926 1,889,631 Bromley Nov. 29, 1932 1,925,450 Levin Sept, 5, 1933 1,927,683 Grothey Sept. 19, 1933 1,970,238 Kretser Aug. 14, 1934 2,130,769 Lombardi Sept. 20, 1938 2,180,709 Houseman Nov. 21, 1939 2,271,302 Moses Jan. 27, 1942 

